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CBI director-general Richard Lambert said at the Siemens sustainability
conference in London that energy and the environment should be the top long-term
priority for all businesses.

He described alternative energy sources as "an economic opportunity on a
scale that has not been seen before", and said that technology development will
play an important role in tackling the issue.

"We need more investment in carbon capture and storage. The technology needs
to be tested at scale and its costs need to be brought down if it is to play any
significant role much before 2030," said Lambert.

The CBI is also calling on European policymakers to put the steps in place so
that businesses can support the third phase of the EU emissions trading scheme.

The initiative is designed to help tackle climate change by putting an
overall cap on carbon emissions.

Other key areas include improving energy efficiency, improving business
planning processes in the UK to increase access to low carbon energy, and
keeping security of energy supply and economic competitiveness on the climate
change agenda.

"The proposals provide a degree of certainty for business planning, show that
emissions can be reduced without damaging competitiveness and support the growth
of international carbon markets," said Lambert.